Chapter 17 - Blaze
CHAPTER 17 - BLAZE
I had to do this. There was no way of getting around it. I was tired of being a prisoner within these walls. My mind screamed for nature and freedom of confinement, to leave this damn facility and not let this fear of kidnapping rule me.
“Ready?” Luna twisted in her seat and clasped our joined hands in her spare hand, warming my chilled knuckles.
I cleared my throat, my fingers aching from clenching on the steering wheel. “I think so.”
“We’ll take it at your pace. Whatever you need,” she said with all the patience of a saint. “Just remember, there was no big bad when we visited Gable last week.”
No, there wasn’t. Completing the outing safely lifted some of the weight from my mind. I needed to slough the remainder, questioning my security and scanning for danger, and this part was the hardest to lay to rest.
“Thanks for coming with me today, sweetness.” I gave my bonded’s hand a light pump, lifting it to my lips and kissing her creamy skin, tasting the salt from her bacon at breakfast blended with her sweet caramel.
Today, Luna was all mine, and we were going shopping for ingredients to cook her dinner tonight. Cole was with his mother, making the most of their brief time together. Talon was busy in The Eye, and she had a date planned with Gable next weekend.
“Are you kidding?” She let go of me to poke my side. “Polish dumplings, here we come! And you promised me chocolate desserts, mister.”
I let out a nervous laugh. To do that, I had to muster the courage to leave the Academy. I put off our cooking date for weeks, giving her every excuse under the sun, ashamed of my cowardice. She never complained, just stayed with me, kept me company, talking through my experience when I felt like opening up. I couldn’t have asked for more support.
Since my cleansing with the biker and my reappointment to light teaching duties, I felt more like myself. Ready to tackle the cooking… I just had to push myself to overcome this hurdle. Every time it would get easier, right? That was what the Academy psychologist said.
My heart rate picked up as I lowered my palm to clutch the handbrake. Luna’s reassuring smile encouraged me to disengage the brake and take the leap of faith that nothing sinister awaited me outside these gates.
“Here goes.” I pressed the gas of my Audi, rolling the vehicle several feet outside the magical wards, my skin shrinking over my bones, my chest instinctively tightening.
Luna maintained calm body language, and the animal in me relaxed that she didn’t sense a threat. “How does that feel?”
Daunting and unnerving. Anxiety soared in the back of my head, clouding my mind with fear that wanted to take control. Pressure mounted in my chest like my heart wanted to burst.
“Good,” I lied, my foot shifting to the brake pedal.
Luna patted the back of my hand. “Nice try.”
I was never good at hiding anything. I appreciated her candor when Cole and Talon treated me like an injured animal.
“That just shrank my balls.” I let go of the brake to continue rolling and inflate my manhood.
She clapped. “Keep going! This is your chance to grow them back.”
My confidence also inflated with her cheering. “Thanks for the reassurance, sweetness.”
I forced the gas pedal down, inching forward faster, fighting my thudding pulse.
I can do this. I will do this.
Nelle imprisoned me in my mind. Camus imprisoned me in the Academy. I wanted out. Wanted my life back. Wanted my damn powers back. And I’d be damned if I let that bastard win.
“You’re doing well.” I wouldn’t have wanted anyone but my bonded by my side for this task. “How’s your manhood?”
Her light, humorous mood prevented me from slamming my boot down on the brakes, turning the car around and driving back to my car parking space. “My manhood’s taken a beating.”
“They’ll grow back.” She winked and cupped my cheek, freeing herself from my iron grip, letting her circulation flow again.
This journey tested me like never before. I thought I was going to pass out the entire trip to the mall. Luna asked to take the wheel three times, and I probably should have obliged her, but I was determined to beat this at its own game. By the time we pulled into the parking lot, my lungs burned, and I needed a minute.
“That was incredible, Blaze.” My bonded brushed the side of my face with the back of her hand. “I can grab the groceries if you want to stay here.”
What if Camus apprehended her? We might never find her.
“No. I won’t leave you alone.” I unbuckled my belt and got out of the car, going around to her door, meeting her there, and taking her hand.
Twenty minutes later, we packed our two reusable bags in the trunk, the click of the door filling me with a sense of accomplishment for getting this far and reaching the home stretch of my goal.
Luna rubbed the back of my biceps as I closed the trunk. “How’s your manhood?” Her encouragement meant the world to me.
I couldn’t have done this with my brothers. They looked at me like I was a broken puzzle, and didn’t have a clue how to solve me.
“As big as a stadium.” I smiled and climbed into the car, and she got into the passenger side, planting her palm on my leg.
Something had been playing on my mind this past week, and I needed to raise it. The wards didn’t have any success translating the final symbol collected from Luna’s mind map.
“Do you mind if we take a detour to Gable’s?” I posed the question. “I want to know if he’s heard back from his biker friend with answers. Will he be home?”
“Sure.” Her smile widened, and I didn’t need my sacred flame to know that she was delighted that I reached out to a serpent for assistance. “He doesn’t get out much because of Mary. I can call and find out.”
“Thanks, sweetness.” I leaned over and kissed her cheek, making them lift and round into perfect apples that I brushed my mouth over. “Let’s drop by his loft and see if he’s home.” An extra test to go beyond where I initially planned and stay out longer than intended.
She smiled and linked her fingers with mine. I put the car into gear and drove away. Focusing on her happiness reduced the ache in my chest, eased my grip on the steering wheel, and unwound my bound muscles.
“You’re making big leaps,” Luna told me, removing her safety belt as I reversed into a parking spot outside of Gable’s shop. “We’ll appreciate your huge balls later.”
I let out a natural laugh this time. My bonded made me forget about my apprehension. I stretched across the seat to clasp the back of her neck and convey my appreciation.
“Come on,” I reluctantly dragged my mouth away from hers. “Before the groceries get cold.”
We exited the vehicle and crossed to Gable’s door, pressing the doorbell, and waiting for him. Moments later, he peeked through the drawn blind, his tight jaw transforming into his cocksure grin.
“You just can’t stay away, Princess,” he said as the door was pried open.
He caught her shoulders, pulled her in, and I felt a flicker of heat under my breast that felt oddly like my scared flame. I bunched my sweater in my hands, trying to capture the sensation.
“Actually, Blaze wanted to visit,” Luna corrected.
“Hotshot? Really?” Gable sounded surprised, leaning back into his doorway, arms over his chest like he prepared to roast me over it. “Coming for a casual visit or business?”
“Business.” That sounded like the appropriate answer when I came for a favor and not out of friendship. And I didn’t want to be here longer than necessary when it unnerved me.
He huffed at my reply as if expecting it and gestured for us to enter. “Come right in.”
Luna scolded me with a glare as she stepped in after him.
Gable and I had our differences over the years. She made me see the error of my ways for being hard on him when I afforded her a chance. The rogue escaped the serpent’s clutches and started a new life for himself. Commendable. For whatever reason, my bonded liked him, and it was high time I went a little easier on him, because he was here to stay and so was I.
Our host motioned for us to sit at the two seats at his kitchen counter while he filled up his kettle.
“Excuse me for a bit.” Luna gave me the eyes to chat and wandered into the living room to greet his sister. “Hi, Mary. How are you?”
Those two embarked on a low conversation. The good old leave the enemies to sort out their dispute trick. I appreciated her providing us privacy.
I was going to start making amends when he interrupted with, “What do you need? Is our princess okay?” He glanced over at the women.
I flushed with a pleasant heat that he adored her as much as I did.
“She’s fine.” I tapped his counter with my fingers. “I wanted to come to get out of the Academy and follow up with your friend.”
I glanced over at his sister, who went through an even worse hell than me, reducing her to a meek, subservient creature.
“I know you don’t owe me anything when I’ve been an ignorant ass to you,” I said, “but I appreciate yours and your friend’s input.”
Gable pressed a hand to his chest. “Hotshot apologizing. Are pigs flying?”
“Elephants, actually.” I went along with his sarcasm.
He chuckled and flicked the kettle on. “Working together after all these years. This will go in the history books.”
“Shut up, smartass.” I couldn’t help but laugh, enjoying that we got along after years of derision.
Gable clapped me on the arm and got out four coffee mugs. “I appreciate the sentiment, mate. All is forgiven.” I was glad for the exoneration.
He pushed me a mug of tea, kept one for himself, and delivered Luna and his sister coffees.
“Hold on, I’ll get my genius biker friend on the line.” Gable got out his phone and dialed. “Getting slow, old man? You still haven’t gotten back to me about our sigil problem.” He put the call on speaker and set it on the kitchen counter, preparing a plate of cookies and pastries.
“Sorry, we’ve been dealing with hell at the club,” Castor muttered on the other end, sounding like he hadn’t slept either.
Gable stopped what he was doing. “Want me to call back?”
“No, it’s okay.” The biker groaned as if he stretched his body after sitting too long. “I had to go back in time for that one.”
His reply had me sitting straight and on the edge of my seat. Back in time? To ancient Egypt? Even I had to admit that ability was practical.
“Stumped you, did I?” Gable grabbed his phone, waved me over to the lounge and reclined and put his boots up on his coffee table, folding one leg over the other.
“You know me. I’m always up for a challenge.” I bet the biker was, working for the god of Wisdom. “Where’d you find this symbol, anyway?” Trust the biker to ask questions and draw out his answer.
“From a friend.” Gable grinned. Two could play that game.
“Well, your friend is holding the calling card to a very ancient and arcane power taught in ancient Egypt before being banished for exploitation.”
My bonded’s gaze came to me, and I clasped her hand, rubbing my thumb over it, being the one to ease her concerns.
“The symbol was discovered by an order of conjurers forgotten to time,” Castor began, “and when I say forgotten, I mean slaughtered to prevent their knowledge spreading, their documents crushed to dust, leaving no trace of them. I’m amazed you even found this.”
“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.” Gable kept up his teasing ruse to protect Luna.
“Don’t think we’re not going to discuss where you got your hands on this,” the biker warned. “But that’s an in-person discussion.”
Gable looked at Luna. “I may have to take that one to my grave, mate.”
“Spoken like a male protecting his mate.” Castor didn’t hold it against his associate and began to explain what he knew. “Most philosophy holds that there are four elements—earth, air, fire, and water. But the most learned conjurers know six comprise the natural order. The forgotten conjurers believed this sixth element to be the most dangerous and powerful in all creation. That’s why they created a means to keep it under control.”
The djinn culture revolved around five elements. They never spoke of a sixth, and they were thousands of years more advanced than humans in spiritual and evolutionary beliefs when every one of them possessed magick, and only a handful of chosen humans were gifted it from the angels.
“Don’t keep us in suspense. What’s the sixth element?” Gable chided and raised his mug to his lips for a sip of tea.
“It’s not just any power.” Castor’s voice came out hard as stone. “It’s the ability to summon and command it at will. To shut down all other power, whomever may hold it, wherever it may be.”
Mine and Gable’s gaze flew straight to Luna, and she shrank back in her seat, nursing her mug in her palm.
“Could they do it from another realm?” Gable enquired.
“Yes.” Castor rustled in the background. “Listen, I’ve got to take care of something for my president. Did you want to discuss this later?”
“You bet. Thanks.”
“Adios.” Castor cut the call and the line went silent.
Gable held his phone for a few beats as if processing every word.
“We can’t let my grandfather get this symbol.” Luna shifted the mug between her palms. “What if he’s taken your powers, Blaze, to breach the djinn realm seeking this element?”
A real possibility. I had to find a way to get back there without the Guild apprehending me and imprisoning me.
Get the symbol, a dark voice resurfaced in my mind, and my body iced over, my stomach threatening to lurch.
No, not again.
Get it for me, and I will release you, the voice prodded.
I wasn’t getting it for anyone, least of all myself. Once I got back to the Academy, I was destroying that damn mind map before it fell into the wrong hands.
I rubbed my forehead and fought to banish the darkness from my thoughts. “Have you ever tried Polish food, Gable?”
Cooking for him and hanging out with him seemed like a fair exchange for the invaluable information we obtained. Information that must not get back to the Guild. Who knew what they might do with it?
My bonded’s eyes lost their worry and slanted with pleasure.
“I haven’t tried it,” he admitted.
“How about I cook it for you, Mary, and our girl?” I offered.
I needed something to forget the reappearance of the darkness. Something that conveyed my appreciation to Gable and extended a hand of friendship. Because something told me we were going to need each other more than ever soon.
Gable’s cocky grin flashed like a concert light. “You’re on, Hotshot.”